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Thri-Kreen
"The Thri-Kreen bend nature - rivers, mountainsides, dinosaurs - to their unyielding will. For the Thri-Kreen, the Heart of Morragor is a symbol of national identity. When they reclaim it, they will flourish once more." -Storm Origin Homeland: Morragor Folk The primary symbol used to represent the Thri-Kreen as a people is a triangle, which symbolizes the triumvirate of body, mind, and soul. The body is represented by the leader and the pack, the mind by the craftsmen, and the soul by the priests. It is this triumvirate which governs all of Thri-Kreen society by acting as the three pillars or their three primary leaders in all matters—the leader who leads the pack, the master crafter who leads the craftsmen, and the high priest who leads the priesthood. All three are the head of their respective paths and work in unison to complete the whole of Thri-Kreen society. Duty is paramount in Thri-Kreen culture, and their society is seen as a living entity, whose wellbeing is the responsibility of all. Each person is like a drop of blood in the veins of the being, and they must do not what is best for them, but what is best for the creature. Thri-Kreen society is based upon learning as well as military might. Few speak the common tongue that is used among foreigners, and even fewer speak it well. For this reason, Thri-Kreen often keep quiet among foreigners, out of shame; in a culture that strives for perfection and mastery, to possess only a passable degree of skill is humiliating, indeed. The Thri-Kreen do not have a concept of personal identity, and use titles rather than names to identify and present themselves. Their "names" are in fact strings of genealogical information used by the priests for record-keeping. A Thri-Kreen personal name is not what we think of as a name. It is more like an identifying number, information which the priests use to keep track of breeding, and is thus not something Thri-Kreen use to refer to one another. What a Thri-Kreen instead thinks of as their name is, in fact, their role in society, which is differentiated by rank and task. Every Thri-Kreen has a birth clutch that consists of all surviving members of the group of eggs from which it hatched. Later in life, each kreen forms a new clutch with those whom they work with. Thri-Kreen generally do not associate mating with love. They feel love. They have friends. They form emotional bonds with one another. However, they simply do not sleep with each other to express it. A hatchling is sent to be raised by the priests, evaluated, and assigned a role. Thri-Kreen do not waste resources unnecessarily, people included. The priests wield a great deal of influence in Thri-Kreen society. This might lead an outsider to believe that their society is religiously-dominated. Thri-Kreen do not, however, look upon government in quite the same way. The brain could be said to rule the body, but so too does the heart, the lungs, the stomach. All are part of the greater whole. The priests raise all the children, give them their general education, and evaluate them. Thri-Kreen are officially assigned their roles at six years of age. The priests do conduct some tests, but nothing that requires a writing. They also have something of a head start on the process, as they are the ones who control the Thri-Kreen selective breeding program. Thri-Kreen believe that the genders are inherently better at certain tasks. No matter how much aptitude a male shows for management, he will never be quite as good at it as a female, therefore it would be considered inefficient to place him in a role where a female might serve better. Instead, the priests find another role that he shows aptitude for and place him there instead. Thri-Kreen have been bred for specific roles for a very long time. Parentage is no longer the issue, more a matter of record. However, breeding does not determine a kreen's assigned task. If a Thri-Kreen was bred to be a warrior but turns out to be more intellectual, the priests may move him into the priesthood, developing weapons, or the warriors, policing the populace, depending on what roles need to be filled by someone with their specific traits. A corpse is considered an insignificant husk that is no longer the individual that it once was and thus is afforded no special treatment, rather disposed of whatever manner is most practical. Life is power. Some mages know this, but they are not the only ones. Warriors can also command the energy that flows through blood and bone, but it is not an easy path. The Thri-Kreen reaver trades pain for strength in a constant balance of selfish sacrifice. But it is more than a state of mind. Reavers terrorize their enemies, and they can unleash a blood frenzy that makes them more powerful as they come nearer to their own deaths. The reaver knows no pain, but is no stranger to vengeance. The death of a foe quickens the reaver's blood. The closer they are to their own deaths, the more efficient they are at inflicting the same on others. Category:Race Category:Natural Category:Morragor